UK cities hail Cameron's triple-barrel name idea

Cities, towns and even small villages have responded with great enthusiasm to David Cameron's idea that more of them should give themselves triple- or even quadruple-barrelled names like Kingston-upon-Thames. Many have taken the chance to rename themselves in ways that better reflect their modern day identity.

Among the largest cities to rebrand themselves have been Manchester-on-Drugs, Liverpool-on-Benefits, Newcastle-In-A-Fight and Glasgow-on-Dialysis. And many smaller but no less historic towns have joined in.

'It was easy to forget that Gloucester is actually the Roman city of Glevum after town planners in the 1960s ripped it apart and plonked cheap concrete everywhere. We feel that our new name shows off both our Latin past and our modern identity,' said Desmond Crouch, Mayor of Gloucester-Juxta-Pisshole.

There has been criticism in some quarters of towns that have renamed themselves in potentially misleading ways that are not in the spirit of traditional triple-barrelling. Wigan-Is-Lovely and Reading-Is-Tolerable have been particularly guilty.

However, the trend seems unstoppable. Even settlements that already had multiple words in them are joining in to adapt to modernity. In Norfolk, Wells-Next-The-Sea is preparing for the 21st century by renaming itself Wells-Under-The-Sea, while Stow-on-the-Wold has gone one better by calling itself Antique-Shops-Up-the-Hill.

'We were never comfortable with Walton-on-the-Naze. It just sounded slightly seedy,' said a spokesman for the Essex town. 'As Slapper-on-the-Chav, we feel that we have really come of age.'

Even small villages in different counties have joined in. Wetwang-Cum-Belvoir is now a single local authority and has appointed Julian Clary to head a tourist marketing campaign.

The Prime Minister himself has expressed his pleasure at the way his idea has taken root. 'Renewing civic pride is a major part of my vision of the Big Society,' David Cameron told reporters outside Parliament in Westminster-on-Expenses.